The “Cristiano Ronaldo is the greatest pure goalscorer ever” argument might be the funniest consolation prize in football 😭
Because apparently “pure goalscorer” means ignore everything except cumulative career goals.
Actually compare the goalscoring:
⚽ Better goals per game: Messi
🚫 Better non penalty goal rate: Messi
🎯 More free kick goals: Messi
🚀 More open play goals from outside the box: Messi
📅 Best calendar year: Messi 91, Ronaldo 69
🔥 Best club season: Messi 73, Ronaldo 61
⏱️ Reached 900 goals in nearly 100 fewer games: Messi
Ronaldo’s biggest goalscoring argument is basically that he played more matches and accumulated a bigger total.
Efficiency? Messi.
Non penalty scoring? Messi.
Long range open play scoring? Messi.
Free kicks? Messi.
Peak goalscoring? Messi.
So what exactly is Ronaldo the “greatest pure goalscorer” at?
Playing extra matches? 😭
They invented “pure goalscorer” because saying “better goalscorer than Messi” gets absolutely murdered by the numbers.